27

Suspension Analysis Tutorial

Suspension Analysis Tutorial

This tutorial teaches you how to modify and analyze a double-wishbone suspension. This chapter includes the following sections:
What You Will Create and Analyze Setting Up the Suspension and Steering Subsystems Performing a Baseline Parallel Wheel Travel Analysis Performing a Baseline Pull Analysis Modifying the Suspension and Steering Subsystem Performing an Analysis on the Modified Assembly Comparing the Analysis Results Finishing Up

This tutorial takes about one hour to complete.

28 Getting Started Using Adams/Car

What You Will Create and Analyze

During this tutorial, you analyze and modify an assembly of a front suspension and steering subsystem. To perform the analysis, you must first create a double-wishbone suspension and steering subsystem from standard Adams/Car templates and subsystems. Adams/Car templates define a subsystems topology and specify how one subsystem connects to another. Templates also contain default parameters, such as locations, part masses, and inertias. The figure shows the suspension and steering assembly (in shaded mode) that you will analyze and modify. Figure 3 Suspension and Steering Assembly

After you create the suspension and steering assembly, you perform two types of analyses to understand its kinematics:

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Suspension Analysis Tutorial

A baseline parallel wheel travel analysis that moves the assembly vertically through the

suspensions rebound-bump travel.

A baseline pull analysis to measure the brake pull at the steering wheel.

Once you understand the kinematics of the assembly, you modify the suspension subsystems geometry to decrease the scrub radius, which should reduce the pull on the steering wheel. You confirm the reduction by analyzing the modified assembly again, using the same type of analysis and comparing the new results to the results yielded by the previous analysis.

30 Getting Started Using Adams/Car

Setting Up the Suspension and Steering Subsystems

In this section, you work with a suspension and steering assembly from two subsystems: a suspension subsystem and a steering subsystem. You create the suspension subsystem using the standard doublewishbone template. You dont need to create the steering subsystem. Instead, you can open an existing subsystem that weve provided. After creating and opening the subsystems, you create an assembly that contains the subsystems and a test rig.

Creating a New Front Suspension Subsystem

You create the front suspension subsystem based on a double-wishbone design stored in the standard template named _double_wishbone.tpl, and then save it. After you create the subsystem, you save it in an Adams/Car database. When you save a subsystem, Adams/Car stores it in the database designated as the default writable database. Initially, the private database is the default writable database, but as you become more familiar with Adams/Car, you can change your writable database. Later, when you are sure the design is complete or ready for review, you can have your database administrator save the file in a shared database or allow others to access it from your private database. To create the front suspension subsystem: 1. Start Adams/Car Standard Interface as described in Starting Adams/Car Standard Interface. 2. From the File menu, point to New, and then select Subsystem. The New Subsystem dialog box appears. Tip: For information on any dialog box, press F1 when the dialog box is active.

3. In the Subsystem Name text box, enter UAN_FRT_SUSP. 4. Set Minor Role to front. A minor role defines the subsystems function and its placement in the assembly (for example, front or rear). In this case, you select front because you are creating a front suspension. 5. Right-click the Template Name text box, point to Search, and then select the acar_shared database. The Select File dialog box appears. 6. Double-click _double_wishbone.tpl. The Template Name text box now contains the file _double_wishbone.tpl and an alias to its directory path. 7. Verify that Translate from default position is not selected. 8. Select the Comment tool . The Modify Comment dialog box appears.

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9. In the Comment Text text box, enter Baseline UAN Front Suspension. 10. Select OK. 11. Select OK again. Adams/Car creates the suspension subsystem using the default data contained in the template and displays it as shown next: Figure 4 Suspension Subsystem

To save the suspension subsystem: From the File menu, select Save. Adams/Car saves the subsystem in your default writable database, which might be your private database. For more information on databases, see the Adams/Car online help.

32 Getting Started Using Adams/Car

Creating a Suspension Assembly

In this section, you create a new suspension assembly and add to it a steering subsystem. To create the suspension assembly: 1. From the File menu, point to New, and then select Suspension Assembly. The New Suspension Assembly dialog box appears. 2. In the Assembly Name text box, enter my_assembly. 3. Click the folder icon next to Suspension Subsystem. The name of the suspension subsystem you just created appears. 4. Select Steering Subsystem. 5. Right-click the Steering Subsystem text box, point to Search, and then select the acar_shared database. The Select File dialog box appears. 6. Double-click MDI_FRONT_STEERING.sub. The Steering Subsystem text box now contains MDI_FRONT_STEERING.sub and an alias to its directory path. Note that by default Adams/Car selects a test rig for the assembly, __MDI_SUSPENSION_TESTRIG. 7. Select OK. The Message Window appears, informing you of the steps Adams/Car takes when creating the assembly. Adams/Car displays the suspension and steering assembly in the main window. 8. Select Close, to close the Message Window.

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Suspension Analysis Tutorial

Performing a Baseline Parallel Wheel Travel Analysis

You now perform a parallel wheel travel analysis on the suspension and steering assembly, and then plot and view the results, as explained in the following sections:
Defining Vehicle Parameters Performing the Analysis Animating the Results Plotting the Results

Defining Vehicle Parameters

Before performing a suspension analysis, you must specify several parameters about the vehicle in which you intend to use the suspension and steering subsystems. These parameters include the vehicles wheel base and sprung mass, whether or not the suspension is front- or rear-wheel drive, and the braking ratio. For this analysis, you enter the parameters to indicate front-wheel drive and a brake ratio of 64% front and 36% rear. To define vehicle parameters: 1. From the Simulate menu, point to Suspension Analysis, and then select Set Suspension Parameters. The Suspension Analysis: Setup Parameters dialog box appears. It contains default settings to help you quickly set up a suspension analysis. 2. Set up the analysis as follows:
Suspension Assembly: my_assembly Tire Model: User Defined Tire Unloaded Radius: 300 Tire Stiffness: 200 Wheel Mass: 10.0 Sprung Mass: 1400 CG Height: 300 Wheelbase: 2765 Drive Ratio: 100

All driving force is applied to the front wheels.

Brake Ratio: 64

The brake ratio value indicates the % of braking force that is applied to the front brakes. 3. Select OK.

34 Getting Started Using Adams/Car

Performing the Analysis

Now that youve defined the vehicle parameters, you can run the parallel wheel travel analysis. During the analysis, the test rig applies forces or displacements, or both, to the assembly, as defined in a loadcase file. For this analysis, Adams/Car generates a temporary loadcase file based on the inputs you specify. This parallel wheel travel analysis moves the wheel centers from -100 mm to +100 mm relative to their input position, while holding the steering fixed. During the wheel motion, Adams/Car calculates many suspension characteristics, such as camber and toe angle, wheel rate, and roll center height. To perform the analysis: 1. From the Simulate menu, point to Suspension Analysis, and then select Parallel Wheel Travel. 2. Set up the analysis as follows:
Suspension Assembly: my_assembly Output Prefix: baseline Number of Steps: 15 Mode of Simulation: interactive Bump Travel: 100 Rebound Travel: -100 Travel Relative To: Wheel Center Steering Input: Angle

3. Select the Comment tool 5. Select OK. 6. Select OK again.

4. In the Comment Text text box, enter Baseline Parallel Wheel Travel Analysis.

The Message Window appears, informing you of the steps Adams/Car takes when performing the analysis. Adams/Car analyzes the suspension and steering assembly and applies to it the displacements and loads defined in the submission dialog box. 7. When the analysis is complete, select Close.

Animating the Results

In this section, you view the analysis you just ran. Adams/Car has already loaded the animation and graphic files for you. To animate the results: 1. From the Review menu, select Animation Controls. 2. Select the Play tool .

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Suspension Analysis Tutorial

Adams/Car animates the motion of the suspension analysis. Notice that the suspension moves from rebound (down), to bump (up), and that the steering wheel does not rotate. 3. When the animation is complete, close the dialog box.

Plotting the Results

In this section, you create several plots from the parallel wheel travel analysis results. In a plot configuration file, we have provided all the information that Adams/Car needs to create the plots. The plot configuration file not only specifies which plots Adams/Car should create, but also how the plots should look, including their horizontal and vertical units, and colors. Storing plotting information in a plot configuration file lets you quickly regenerate plots after each analysis. To plot the results: 1. Launch Adams/PostProcessor as explained in Plotting Results. 2. From the Plot menu, select Create Plots. 3. Enter the following specifications:
Plot Configuration File:mdids://acar_shared/plot_configs.tbl/mdi_suspension_short.plt Plot Title: Baseline Parallel Travel Analysis - UAN_FRT_SUSP

4. Select OK. Adams/Car creates the plots. To cycle through the plots, from the Main toolbar, use the Previous Pages and Next Pages tools . 5. View the plot named Scrub Radius, shown next. Scrub radius is the distance from the point at the intersection of the steering axis (also known as the kingpin axis) and the ground plane, to the line of intersection of the wheel and ground planes. Plot of Scrub Radius versus Wheel Travel

36 Getting Started Using Adams/Car

Notice that the scrub radius varies little with wheel travel and is approximately 34 mm. A positive scrub radius means the steering axis lies inboard of the center of the tire contact patch. From the analysis youve completed, you have enough information to calculate the approximate torques produced about the steering axes using the difference in left to right braking forces and the 34 mm scrub radius. In addition, using the results of that calculation and the steering geometry, you can calculate the resulting unbalanced force at the steering rack and the pull (torque) needed at the steering wheel to keep the wheels straight. In the next sections, you use Adams/Car to perform these calculations.

Deleting Plots
To prepare for the baseline pull analysis, delete the plots you created in the previous sections. To delete plots: 1. In the treeview, hold down the left mouse button, and then drag the cursor across the names of the plots you want to delete. 2. From the Edit menu, select Delete. 3. From the File menu, select Close Plot Window or press F8. Adams/Car returns to the main window.

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Suspension Analysis Tutorial

Performing a Baseline Pull Analysis

You can now perform a baseline pull analysis to study the pull on the steering wheel. You will use the results of this pull analysis as the baseline against which you compare the results of another pull analysis that you perform after you modify the location of the steering axis. By comparing the results from the two analyses, you can determine if the modifications were successful. Performing a baseline pull analysis involves the following:
Defining a Loadcase File Performing the Analysis Animating the Results Plotting the Results Saving the Plot Configuration

Defining a Loadcase File

Before you can run the baseline pull analysis, you need to create a loadcase file to drive the analysis. In the loadcase file, you specify the unequal braking forces to simulate braking on a split-surface and the beginning, or upper, and ending, or lower, steering wheel angles. To calculate the unequal brake forces, we assume that the vehicle is braking at a rate of 0.5 gs deceleration, with a 64% front and 36% rear brake ratio, a vehicle mass of 1,400 kg, and the front braking force split 55% left and 45% right. Based on these assumptions, the total front braking force is: 1,400 kg * 0.5 gs * 9. 81 m/s2/g * 0.64 = 4,395 N From this, the left and right braking forces are:
Left braking force = 0.55 * 4,395 N or 2,417 N Right braking force = 4,395 N - 2,417 N or 1,978 N

You can use these calculations to define the loadcase file. To define a loadcase file: 1. From the Simulate menu, point to Suspension Analysis, and then select Create Loadcase. Note: If Select Loadcase Type is not set to Static Load, your dialog box will look slightly different. Make sure you select Static Load first, and then proceed to fill in the dialog box.

2. Fill in the dialog box as shown next, and then select OK.

38 Getting Started Using Adams/Car

Adams/Car creates the loadcase file, named brake_pull.lcf, and stores it in your private database. It stores the loadcase file as text (ASCII) and you can print it or edit it manually. To create the loadcase file, Adams/Car takes the parameters that you entered and generates a table of input values. For the parameters that you entered, Adams/Car generates a table that varies steering wheel angle from -180 to 180 in 15 steps, while holding the braking forces constant.
Table 1 shows the loadcase file values

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Suspension Analysis Tutorial

Table 1 Steering Wheel: -180 -156 -132 -108 -84 -60 -36 -12 12 36 60 84 108 132 156 180

Loadcase file values Left Brake Force: 2417 2417 2417 2417 2417 2417 2417 2417 2417 2417 2417 2417 2417 2417 2417 2417 Right Brake Force: 1978 1978 1978 1978 1978 1978 1978 1978 1978 1978 1978 1978 1978 1978 1978 1978

Performing the Analysis

You can now use the loadcase file that you just created to perform an analysis that determines the pull characteristics of the suspension and steering assembly. To perform the pull analysis: 1. From the Simulate menu, point to Suspension Analysis, and then select External Files. 2. Set up the analysis as follows:
Suspension Assembly: my_assembly Output Prefix: baseline Mode of Simulation: interactive Loadcase Files: mdids://private/loadcases.tbl/brake_pull.lcf

3. Make sure Load Analysis Results is selected. 4. Select OK.

40 Getting Started Using Adams/Car

Animating the Results

In this section, you view an animation of the analysis Adams/Car just performed. To animate the results: 1. From the Review menu, select Animation Controls. 2. Select the Play tool. Adams/Car animates the turning motion of the steering subsystem. You should see the wheels turn as the steering wheel rotates. The wheel centers should not move vertically. 3. Close the Animation Controls dialog box.

Plotting the Results

You can now use the results from the baseline pull analysis to create two plots, as explained in the following sections:
Plotting Steering Wheel Torque versus Steering Wheel Angle Plotting Scrub Radius versus Steering Wheel Angle

Plotting Steering Wheel Torque versus Steering Wheel Angle You now create a plot of the steering wheel torque versus the steering wheel angle. To set up the plot: 1. Launch Adams/PostProcessor just as you did before. 2. From the treeview, double-click page_1. 3. Select plot_1. 4. In the property editor, clear the selection of Auto Title and Auto Subtitle. 5. In the h3 text box, enter Brake Pull Analysis. 6. In the Subtitle text box, enter Steering Wheel Torque vs Steering Wheel Angle. 7. Right-click the treeview area, point to Type Filter, point to Plotting, and then select Axes. 8. From the treeview, double-click plot_1, and then select haxis. 9. In the property editor, select the Labels tab. 10. In the Label text box, enter Steering Wheel Angle [degrees]. 11. From the treeview, select vaxis. 12. In the Label text box, Steering Wheel Torque [Nmm]. To create the plot: 1. Verify that Source is set to Requests. Adams/Car automatically displays data information.

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Suspension Analysis Tutorial

2. From the Simulation list, select baseline_brake_pull. 3. From the right of the dashboard, set Independent Axis to Data. The Independent Axis Browser appears. You perform the next four steps in the browser. 4. From the Filter list, select user defined. 5. From the Request list, select steering_displacements. You might have to scroll down to see this entry. 6. From the Component list, select angle_front. 7. Select OK. 8. From the Filter list, select user defined. 9. From the Request list, expand test rig in the Request list, and then select steering_wheel_input. 10. From the Component list, select steering_wheel_input_torque. 11. Select Add Curves. Adams/Car takes the data requested and automatically generates the curve on the current plot template, as shown next: Figure 5 Plot of Steering Wheel Torque versus Steering Wheel Angle

42 Getting Started Using Adams/Car

The plot shows the torque that the test rig applies to the steering wheel to hold the wheel in position. The torque is negative, meaning that the test rig applies a clockwise torque to counteract the unequal braking force that pulls the wheel counterclockwise, as if making a left turn. Plotting Scrub Radius versus Steering Wheel Angle In this section, you create a plot of the scrub radius versus the steering wheel angle. After you create the plot, you can modify it to change the number of divisions in the vertical and horizontal axes so they cover a larger range and define the minimum and maximum limits to be displayed in the vertical axis. To set up the plot: 1. From the Main toolbar, select the New Page tool 2. In the treeview, double-click page_2. 3. Select plot_2. 4. Make sure that Auto Title and Auto Subtitle are not selected. 5. In the h3 text box, enter Brake Pull Analysis. 6. In the Subtitle text box, enter Scrub Radius vs Steering Angle.

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Suspension Analysis Tutorial

7. Right-click the treeview area, point to Type Filter, point to Plotting, and then select Axes. 8. Double-click plot_2 to expand it so the names of the axes are visible. 9. From the treeview, select haxis. 10. In the property editor, select Labels. 11. In the Label text box, enter Steering Wheel Angle [degrees]. 12. From the treeview, select vaxis. 13. In the Label text box, enter Scrub Radius [mm]. To create the plot: 1. Verify that Source is set to Requests. 2. From the Simulation list, select baseline_brake_pull. 3. From the Filter list, select user defined. 4. From the Request list, select scrub_radius. 5. From the Component list, select left. This defines the vertical axis component. 6. Select Add Curves. Adams/Car takes the data requested and generates the curve on the current plot template, as shown next: Figure 6 Plot of Scrub Radius versus Steering Angle

44 Getting Started Using Adams/Car

Notice that the scrub radius appears to vary a lot with respect to the steering angle because of the vertical plot scale, when in fact it only varies 0.21 mm over the total range of steering wheel angle. To show that this variation is small, you must modify the vertical axis so it covers a larger range of values. To modify the plot: 1. Select the vertical axis. 2. From the property editor, select the Format tab. 3. Clear the selection of Auto Scale. 4. In the Limits text boxes, enter 0 and 100. A modified plot appears as shown next. Figure 7 Modified Plot of Scrub Radius versus Steering Wheel Angle

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Notice that the variation in scrub radius with respect to the steering wheel angle now appears smaller.

Saving the Plot Configuration

Saving the changes that you made to the plots in a plot configuration file lets you easily recreate the plots later in this tutorial, after you modify the suspension and steering assembly. To save the plot configuration: 1. From the File menu, point to Export, and then select Plot Configuration File. 2. In the Configuration File Name text box, enter brake_pull. 3. Make sure All Plots is selected. 4. Select OK. 5. From the File menu, select Close Plot Window or press F8. Adams/Car returns to the main window.

46 Getting Started Using Adams/Car

Modifying the Suspension and Steering Subsystem

For a double-wishbone suspension, the line running from the lower spherical joint to the upper spherical joint defines the steering axis or kingpin axis. If these joints move outboard while the rest of the suspension geometry remains unchanged, the scrub radius is decreased. In the suspension subsystem that you created, two hardpoint pairs define the locations of these joints:
hpl_lca_outer and hpr_lca_outer, where lca_outer means lower control arm outer, and the prefix hpl means hardpoint left and the prefix hpr means hardpoint right. hpl_uca_outer and hpr_uca_outer, where uca_outer means upper control arm outer and the prefix hpl means hardpoint left and the prefix hpr means hardpoint right.

Hardpoints define independent locations in space. To decrease the scrub radius, you modify the locations that these hardpoints define, as explained in the following sections:
Modifying Hardpoint Locations Saving the Modified Subsystem

Modifying Hardpoint Locations

You must first display a table that contains data about the current locations that the hardpoints define. You can then modify the hardpoint locations. You only need to indicate how you want to move the left hardpoints in each pair, and Adams/Car modifies the right hardpoints accordingly. To view hardpoint locations: 1. From the View menu, select Subsystem. The Display Subsystem dialog box appears, already containing the subsystem my_assembly.UAN_FRT_SUSP. 2. Select OK. 3. From the Adjust menu, point to Hardpoint, and then select Table. The Hardpoint Modification Table appears. It displays the locations of all the hardpoints in the assembly. You can use this table to display and modify the locations of any of the hardpoints. The locations of the paired hardpoints differ only by the sign of the Y location. Therefore, the paired hardpoints are symmetrical about the X-Z plane. With symmetrical hardpoints, you only need to move one of the hardpoints, not both. If you want, however, you can break the symmetry and move only one of the hardpoints of a symmetrical pair. To see the symmetry, select left or right from the bottom of the Hardpoint Modification Table. To modify the hardpoints: 1. Click the cell common to hpl_lca_outer and loc_y. 2. Change the existing value to -775. This moves the hardpoint point 25 mm outboard.

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3. Scroll the table window down until you see the hardpoint hpl_uca_outer. 4. Click the cell common to hpl_uca_outer and loc_y. 5. Change the existing value to -700. This moves the hardpoint 25 mm outboard. 6. Select Apply. Adams/Car changes the hardpoint locations of the two hardpoints and their symmetrical right pairs. 7. Close the dialog box.

Saving the Modified Subsystem

In this section, you save the subsystem you just modified. To save the subsystem: 1. From the File menu, select Save. Before saving the file, Adams/Car asks you if you want to create a backup copy of the file. 2. Select No. This overwrites the subsystem file in your default writable database. Adams/Car saves the subsystem file that you created.

48 Getting Started Using Adams/Car

Performing an Analysis on the Modified Assembly

To determine how the modifications to the suspension subsystem changed the pull on the steering wheel, you perform a pull analysis on the modified suspension and steering assembly. You can use the same loadcase file that you created in Defining a Loadcase File. To perform the analysis: 1. From the Simulate menu, point to Suspension Analysis, and then select External Files. The dialog box displays the appropriate loadcase file. 2. In the Output Prefix text box, enter modified. 3. Select the Comment tool. 4. In the Comment Text text box, enter Steering axis moved 25mm outboard. 5. Select OK. 6. Select OK again. Adams/Car analyzes the modified suspension and steering assembly.

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Comparing the Analysis Results

You now create a plot that compares the analysis results from the baseline suspension and steering assembly with the analysis results from the modified suspension and steering assembly. To compare the analysis results: 1. Launch Adams/PostProcessor. 2. From the Plot menu, select Create Plots. 3. In the Plot Configuration File text box, enter mdids://private/plot_configs.tbl/brake_pull.plt. 4. In the Plot h3 text box, enter Brake Pull Analysis - UAN_FRT_SUSP. 5. To plot the results of the two analyses on one page, select Cross Plotting. 6. Select OK. 7. Use the plot navigation tools to cycle through the plots. 8. Focus on the plot of the Steering Wheel Torque vs Steering Wheel Angle, shown in the following figure. It contains values for both the baseline and the modified suspension and steering assembly. Notice that the pull is reduced for all steering wheel angles, as expected. Figure 8 Comparison Plot for Steering Wheel Torque vs Steering Wheel Angle

50 Getting Started Using Adams/Car

9. Cycle through the plots until you see a plot of the Scrub Radius vs Steering Wheel Angle, shown below. This plot also contains values for both the baseline and the modified suspension and steering assembly. Notice that the scrub radius decreased from 34 mm to 8 mm because of the suspension modifications. Figure 9 Comparison Plot for Scrub Radius versus Steering Wheel Angle

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52 Getting Started Using Adams/Car

Finishing Up
Before you continue with the full-vehicle tutorial in the next chapter, you should clean up your directory by deleting the plots and simulations, and closing the subsystems that you created and modified.
Deleting Simulations Closing Assemblies

Deleting Simulations
You first delete the simulations for the baseline and modified analyses and then you return to the Adams/Car main window. To delete simulations: 1. Right-click the treeview, point to Type Filter, point to Modeling, and then select Analyses. 2. To show the current simulations, double-click my_assembly. The treeview updates and displays the current simulations. 3. Select the simulations you want to delete. 4. From the Edit menu, select Delete. Adams/Car deletes the simulations. 5. From the File menu, select Close Plot Window. Adams/Car returns to the main window.

Closing Assemblies
You can now close the suspension and steering assembly. To close the assembly: 1. From the File menu, point to Close, and then select Assembly. The Close Assembly dialog box appears. By default it contains the name of your assembly. 2. Select OK.